Lake Washington steamboats and ferries

Lake Washington steamboats and ferries

Steamboats on Lake Washington near Leschi Park, circa 1906.
Transit type	Passenger-only steamboats, vehicle ferries.
Route	Lake Washington
Line	Anderson Steamboat Co.; King County Ferry Dist. No. 1.
Terminals	Madison Park, Leschi Park, Mercer Is., Medina, Kirkland
Began operation	c. 1875; 149 years ago (1875)
Ended operation	1951; 73 years ago (1951) (last ferry run)
No. of vessels	Fortuna, Leschi and many others.
Connections at terminus
	Connection to Yesler Avenue cable car terminus at Leschi Park

Lake Washington steamboats and ferries operated from about 1875 to 1951, transporting passengers, vehicles and freight across Lake Washington, a large lake to the east of Seattle, Washington. Before modern highways and bridges were built, the only means of crossing the lake, other than the traditional canoe or rowboat, was by steamboat, and, later, by ferry. While there was no easily navigable connection to Puget Sound, the Lake Washington Ship Canal now connects Lake Washington to Lake Union, and from there Puget Sound is reached by way of the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks.